Yesterday (Monday), US President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was sworn in and the majority of Supreme Court justices returned to the conservatives. Gorsuch took the place of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in 2016.

Yesterday’s ceremony marked the end of a 14-month process that began with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The Republican majority in Congress made it difficult for former US President Barack Obama to appoint a replacement for Scalia in hopes that a Republican president would be elected to appoint a conservative judge - as indeed happened. Gorsuch, only 45 years old, is expected to serve for many years.

Trump and Gorsuch Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News

When Trump announced Gorsuch as his choice, the Democrats in Congress attempted to prevent the appointment with a filibuster, although he was eventually confirmed with a majority of 54 in favor to 45 against- the closest gap in the past 25 years.